Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Katrina Bailey is all smiles as she arrives at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, with her husband Army Sgt. 1st Class Jarrett Bailey, for their Weddings for Warriors vow renewal ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Army Sgt. 1st Class Jarrett Bailey and his wife Katrina, renew their vows Wednesday during a Weddings for Warriors ceremony at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Pastor Ben Martin presides over the vow renewal of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jarrett Bailey and his wife Katrina, Wednesday during a Weddings for Warriors ceremony at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Peyton Wilcox, 4, is all smiles as her parents; Marine Corps Sgt. Stanly Wilcox and his wife Tashauna renew their vows during a Weddings for Warriors ceremony Wednesday at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.

In his formal dress blues, Marine Corps Sgt. Stanley Wilcox stood stoic at the front of the church.

But the Parris Island-stationed Marine lost his internal battle to remain composed as his bride approached down the aisle of the Wesley Monumental Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon.

“I thought, ‘Man, she’s so beautiful,’” Wilcox said. “I tried not to crack a smile — I’m not really a feelings person, you know — but, I did. I couldn’t not smile.”

Although he and his wife, Tashauna, have been married nearly three years, the couple reaffirmed their vows Wednesday at the historic Savannah chapel in one of 11 ceremonies provided free of charge to U.S. service members during the sixth Weddings for Warriors event held in Coastal Georgia.

The ceremony, Tashauna Wilcox said, marked a fresh start for the family — that includes their children Stanley and Peyton — that has endured the lifestyle that comes along with military service, including deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

“A friend of mine was married through Weddings for Warriors last year,” she said. “I thought it could be a good opportunity — looking for a new start, a new beginning in our life.”

Since beginning as a simple project in 2009 for the Savannah Wedding Tourism Council to give something back to the community, Weddings for Warriors was grown into its own entity, said the nonprofit’s executive director Becky Byous.

“We thought it would be a one-time time thing,” Byous said. “We never fathomed that the need was so great among our military, and after doing it once we knew we were going to have to keep doing it.”

Byous, who said between 250 and 300 volunteers contribute each year to the project, also never expected military couples would more strongly desire vow reaffirmations than actual marriage ceremonies. Wednesday 10 couples renewed vows and one married.

For many, like Army Sgt. 1st Class Jarrett Bailey and his wife of six years Katrina, the vow renewal donated by Weddings for Warriors Wednesday was the ceremony they were never able to have.

The noncommissioned officer originally married his bride at a Columbus courthouse in 2006 just after returning to Fort Benning from Iraq where he was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

“I never dreamed of this day,” Katrina Bailey said after their intimate service at Wesley. “Every time I turn around, (Weddings for Warriors) surprises me. There’s nothing I can say but thanks to Becky and Weddings for Warriors. It’s been amazing.”

Her husband, who is currently stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. and has served two combat tours, said he was thrilled Katrina finally got the wedding she deserved.

“This is better than we really ever could have thought,” Sgt. 1st Class Bailey said. “To have our own ceremony in this nice, big, beautiful church in this great city — just, wow.”

In recent years, Weddings for Warriors has begun to expand with events held in Colorado and Texas.

It’s turned into something much greater than Byous could have ever anticipated.

“It just keeps happening and getting bigger and better,” she said. “We never would have dreamed when we started that five years down the road we’d still be doing it, but as long as there’s a need — you really get addicted to it, so we’re going to keep on going.”

And the service members and their spouses couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity Weddings for Warriors presents them, Tashauna Wilcox said.

“It shows how much they care for the military service members and what they do for all of us,” she said. “It just shows deeply their appreciation for what these men and women do for our county and for what the spouses go through.

“It’s just — thank you. Thank you to everyone involved in this. It’s so amazing.”